HAGI


Hagi is located in Yamaguchi Prefecture near the extreme western point of Japan's main island, Honshu. The city is situated on the delta of the Abu River and is surrounded by hills on the east, south and west. For 263 years, beginning in 1600, 1 Hagi prospered as the castle-town of the Mori family, the area s leading feudal clan. Hagi is also noted as the birthplace of many famous statesmen who played very important roles in pre-Meiji Restoration days.

The Hagi Castle was built in 1604 (the 9th year of the Keicho Era) by Terumoto Mori after his defeat at a battle in Sekigahara Field. He made this his residential castle. After the Restoration, the new Meiji government ordered that Hagi Castle be dismantled. The new lord destroyed the castle to show his allegiance to the new government in 1874. Today, the remains of the castle are located in Shizuki Park, which includes the remains of Shizuki Shrine, Hananoe Tea House and the East Yard. In springtime this park is famed for its cherry blossoms.

Around the castle ruins, the Asa Mori family clan's tenement house for the servant soldiers may be found. This was the residence of many foot soldiers of Asa Mori's lord family. It is long and narrow, having a length of 51.5 meters and width of 5 meters. Each room has windows and lattice doors, all of which are arranged in a straight line.

Even today, the city retains so much of its feudal atomosphere that one almost expects samurai to emerge from the traditional dwellings.

In the streets of Joka-machi (castle town), one can find the old samurais' residences of Horiuchi, which are divided into three sections. The middle-class soldiers' residential area, the rich politicians' homes and those of governmentpatronized merchants are all distributed squarely along in the quiet streets of Hagi.

In particular, Joka-machi (its buildings are considered National Historical Assets) is symbolized in Edoya Lane, Iseya Lane, and Kikuya Lane. They connect with the main castle street, which displays the old-fashioned style of traditional Joka-machi.

There is a pond, MYOJIN IKE, formed after the eruption of the volcano Kasa Yama, or Mt. Umbrella. The pond contains sea water, which comes in and out through the rocks connecting the sea and the pond. The mountain, which rises 112 meters above the sea, commands a breathtaking view of the Japan Sea with its doughnut-shaped islets. In its crater, 30 meters across and deep, many trees and different types of vegetation are growing.

There are also 16,000 camellia trees of various kinds; they are preserved as a natural asset in this area.

In early spring on the lower reach of Matsumoto River, one can see many boats netting whitebaits coming up to lay their eggs.

Along the main road is the Aiba-gawa watercourse, which was utilized for rice paddy irrigation as well as transportation of small boats. At present numerous carps swim in the stream.

One will also find the Daisho-In Temple, one of the family temples of the Mori feudal clan (built in 1656) and the lord's tombstones standing behind the yard. The main gate, bell tower, sanctuary, garden and big wisteria trees and are outstanding.

Another attraction is the Shoka-Son-Juku, which is a small academy where Shoin Yoshida educated his young disciples from 1857 to 1860. The building was originally only a room with 8 mats but was rebuilt later by Shoin and his students. Statesmen such as Hakubun Ito, Shinsaku Takasugi, Takayoshi Kido, Aritomo Yamagata, Genzui Kusaka, Issei Maebara, Yajiro Shinagawa and Akiyoshi Yamada were educated here and became leaders in the Meiji Restoration. The school building is now in the precinct of the Shoin Shrine.

In late winter, the growing season for Natsu-mikan (Japanese summer oranges), their bright orange and yellow tints brighten the Japan Sea port of Hagi. The colorful fruits are a welcome sight on the blustery days when winds from the sea buffet the city.

Natsu-mikan were planted initially in 1876 as a measure of relief to the old samurai class citizens who lost their employment after the Meiji Restoration and had their livelihoods disrupted. The seeds were distributed to the samurai who planted them throughout the city during its renaissance as an agricultural center. Today, the mikan trees are as symbolic of the former castle town as are its surviving samurai residences and the crumbling earthen walls built in the 19th century by samurai wives to shield the city from attack by foreign warships.

Hagi is probably most famous for Hagi-yaki, its traditional pottery. It is highly appreciated nowadays because it is made by traditional workmanship with a modern sense of the original art. It is generally noted for its subdued colors and classical features, especially the glazing, which is very clear and vivid. It manifests simplicity along with the original taste and tint of the local soil and glazing technique.

This pottery has a fascinating history. The techniques involved in producing Hagi-yaki originated in Korea. When the art reached Hagi, it was favored with the protection and patronage of the Mori Clan. In 1592, the famous warlord, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, raised an army of 160,000 in the western area of Japan and set out on an expedition to Korea. The excursion was a military fiasco, but it did have a lasting effect on the Hagi area. Historians often refer to the illfated invasion attempt as the "ceramic war", because Hideyoshi's army brought back 300 Korean ceramic masters, highly skilled in the production of the "Korai" bowls prized in Japan. It is often said that the beauty of some Hagi pottery increases with its use.

Another of Hagi's tourist attractions is the TOKOJI temple, the family temple of the Mori cla'n. The clan's graveyard, which was founded by a Zen Buddhist priest, is adjacent to it. The Tokoji boasts rows of 500 stone lanterns, dedicated by the Mori family soldiers, as well as the pure water of the Abugawa River. One can observe the strange Chinese style structure of the edifice, the bell tower, outer gate, inner gate, sanctum and so forth.

Off-season, Hagi is a sleepy town, but, to protect the city from the results of excessive development, the municipal government has passed a city ordinance aimed at preserving the historic sites. To enhance the city's natural beauty, the government has also planted the Hagi variety of bush clover all over the city.

The charms of Hagi, its natural beauty, and the warm hospitality of its citizens cause most visitors to swear that they will return.